Yngwie Malmsteen strat

Z####### (and MZ########) would be correct for a 2000 to early 2010, with "Made in USA" on the face. Some early 2010 models were simply "10######
US numbering began in 2010 with US10######
Mexico follows the same pattern, but went from "MZ9 to MX10"

It's a very bad one.
The neck pocket alone tells the story on the body.

 

Yeah, you're right – and @Michael919 – you are too! Pretty clever (though not quite clever enough!...) of the old Chinese lads picking a serial number that checks out as something *almost* conceivable, well... obviously not THAT conceivable, but a similar-ish neck at least.

I'm out – goodnight folks !

 

Good eye on the neck pocket @CB91710!

I'll disagree that it's a bad one, though. See the normal bad one I posted above. This one has a lot more right than typical:

Fret wire
Tuners
Deeper scallops
Bullet nut
21 frets

 

That never was an American Special neck.
AS neck not only has two string trees, but they are the modern tree that leaves two holes in the face if removed... yet no signs of being filled.
AS neck is drilled for 2-pin modern "Ping" tuners... again, no signs of the holes being filled above that top tuner.

Absolute best case, IF it's a genuine Fender neck, it's a MiM Classic 70s.
They come with the bullet, 21 frets, mounting option for 3 or 4 bolt, and are drilled for the Fender 70s style "F" tuners:

https://shop.fender.com/en-US/parts...-mount-21-vintage-style-frets/0997003921.html

But as mentioned before... the 12th fret markers are not right.

 

This has got to be the most labor intensive guitar to fake. It’s hard to believe that someone is doing this habitually. Probably more likely that someone just stumbled into the right parts to fake it.

 

That's how they operate on the serial numbers.
I've not found a database, but on MLP there is a "Is this Epiphone fake?" thread, and one of the most common "gotcha" items is the use of a known copied serial number, or one in close sequence to a known commonly forged number.
Using a copied legit serial number will show as legit in the online serial number databases. It's only when you go to the Fender site, or contact Fender/Gibson customer service, that you get the detailed information on the model.

 

These are not one-off fakes that someone is making in their bedroom.
These are manufactured counterfeits produced in the same factories that spit out thousands of "Chibsons" and "Chenders" every month... and people buy them because they can have a "brand name" on their headstock for under $500.
The Epiphone counterfeits are even more insidious because they are sold at prices very close to the legit items.

The companies making these have the machinery, raw materials, and labor required to make everything from an $80 Glarry to a $2000 PRS SE. It all depends on how much time management is willing to pay for.
They sell enough, and even at their insane prices, make enough money that they can afford to ship you a replacement when your order is seized by US Customs.

 

Sure...
But Shirley there are easier guitars to fake.
That’s my point.

 

A quick Google suggests the a real Yngwie Strat from that period should have a serial starting with SZ ('S' meaning signature I guess).

 

Believe me iam probably the last person to..authenticate things but if there is something i know those are the dunlop 6000(which i used on two refrets) and scalloped fretboards(which i have done in many of my guitars).Those dont even look in the ballpark of...closeness to the 6000s and that scalloping job is sloppy...

 

Headstock curve looks wrong to me as well.

 

Ok. I'm off the fence. Fake. It's still not your typical Chinese copy though.

I'd still like to see more photos because it interesting to pick apart.

 

Right!? That scalloping job looks like S#!T!!!! I noticed that immediately when I zoomed in on the neck just a little

 

And they do... by the thousands.
And they sell them for less.
But with the facilities that they have, this is not a hard guitar to fake... not done the way they do it.
Even Fender only gets $200 more for the YJM than they do for the American Professional, and $300 more for the Blackmore than they do for the Player.

 

I hope the OP is an honest person who went for a cheap too-good-to-be-true deal...and it turned out to be so.
That's the best case scenario, anyway.
He/she seems to have disappeared.

 

Really?

Here in the UK a Player strat can be had for about £520 but it's over £1,100 for a Blackmore signature. It's only about £850 for a very similar Albert Hammond signature (a 70s strat with Alder body and rosewood board and some non standard wiring) so there you're about right in the difference but add in labour intensive scalloping (on the factory models where it's done right) and you can see why it's worth it to the fakers.

The YJM is considerably dearer than the Blackmore at £2,200 with a Professional about £1,500 here so very nearly 50% more.... if you can fake the dearer product.

 

I'm going by MSRP on the Fender site:

YJM = $1750
SRV = $1700
Blackmore = $1225

American Pro-II = $1500 ($1650 for HSS)
Player = $700

So I was off on the Player price... I thought they had kicked it up to where the American Special was a few years ago.

But still... the YJM is only $50 more than an SRV.
With mass production equipment, the YJM is not a difficult guitar to produce (or clone).

 

I saw this the other day. Dude does a few vids on Chender fakes. Says they are pretty well done visually. No vids I saw where he takes them apart. I know nothing about Yngwie or his strat.

 

I doubt its being built in someones basement. There is a factory in China somewhere cranking them out.